Three-photon polarization ququarts: polarization, entanglement and Schmidt decompositions

Abstract

We consider polarization states of three photons, each in the same given spectral-angular mode. A general form of such states is a superposition of four basic three-photon polarization modes, to be referred to as three-photon polarization ququarts. All such states can be considered as consisting of one- and two-photon parts, which can be entangled with each other. The degrees of entanglement and polarization as well as the Schmidt decomposition and Stokes vectors of three-photon polarization ququarts are found and discussed.